NABF Newsletter No. 3

Editor's Letter

Welcome to the first edition of the Northeast Region of the NABF Newsletter. Our Northeast region extends from northern Maine to Maryland and from eastern New York State to western Pennsylvania. We have an abundance of bonsai enthusiasts, pioneers, public bonsai collections and an active community in our region.

Covering such a wide area of the country, we also have diverse climates. In fact, this issue of the NABF Newsletter has been delayed because it had to be assembled during the late-winter to spring season, which is the busiest time for bonsai enthusiasts in our region. Also, this past winter and spring has experienced most unusual weather which delayed and prolonged bonsai activities throughout the region. In our local area, we had the coldest winter in twenty-four years on top of 140 inches of snow, followed by an extremely wet late spring. Some growers only watered their bonsai twice in three weeks!

I would like to thank Jerry Stowell and Colin Lewis who assisted in the production of this edition of the NABF Newsletter in addition to the many people to answer our request to submit photos of their finest bonsai for the Northeast Bonsai Gallery. I would like to invite others to continue to submit photos of their finest bonsai for the next edition of our region's newsletter which will be published in a year or two.

In the next issue of our Northeast Region Newsletter we are planning to feature some of the public bonsai collections in our region. Please let me know if you would like to assist in assembling this information, and please continue to send bonsai photos.

It is important that all bonsai organizations in North America continue to join and support the North American Bonsai Federation so we can be represented in the World Bonsai Friendship Federation. Remember, our North American Region is the host for the exciting 5th World Bonsai Convention coming up soon in Washington, DC. Our local organization, The Bonsai Society Of Upstate New York, recently celebrated our 30th Anniversary Exhibition. At our dinner we had a benefit auction with a generous portion of the proceeds going to the NABF and also to the Yoshimura Fund of the NBF.

I would like to encourage all bonsai organizations throughout North America join the NABF and support the educational activities.

Enjoy the summer, you know what is coming up soon ...

William N. Valavanis
Northeast Regional Editor